It's January 30, the birthday of former American School President William Hunding. During his four-decade tenure as a full-time employee and in the seven years that followed until his death in 2013, Mr. Hunding was a leader and friend to students and staff alike. He is one of only seven men who have served as American School President, a testimony to our longevity and the quality of persons who have served in that role.

We've got college scholarships on our minds today, and not just because at least a couple American School employees attended the Duke-Notre Dame basketball game last night. Each year American School awards $21,000 in post-secondary scholarships to 18 deserving graduates. The scholarship meeting is in June, which means we'll be sending out applications to this year's candidates in the coming weeks. Keep checking this blog and our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.

This time of year we get a lot of calls and emails from students and guarantors who don't have their online student center passwords or who wish to change or add email addresses associated with their accounts. Making sure you have the correct email address on file is your responsibility. We do not add or change email addresses for students and guarantors after enrollment. If you do not have an email address on file with us, for security reasons, we must send you a new password in the regular mail. If you have an email address on file with us, you can go to the password assistance page to retrieve your password. Simply enter the email address associated with your account, and your password will be sent to you right away. Remember that your student code is exactly the same as your 7-digit student number. Once you have your password and have logged into the online student center successfully, you can use the appropriate link in the My American School box on the right side of the page to add or change your email address or to change your password. Please note that you do not have to change your email address and your password. You can do one, leave the other boxes blank or unchanged, and then save your updates. Remember to use a different email address for your student account and your guarantor account. If you have questions or need to request a new password, you can write to the Public Relations Department. Remember to include your full name, student number, and specific details about your password situation. We will reply within one business day. Thank you for your cooperation.

On a fairly regular basis we receive calls, letters and emails from graduates who would like us to send them another copy of their American School diploma. While we are happy to count them among our graduates, it is our policy not to send duplicate diplomas unless circumstances are deemed extraordinary. Therefore, when you receive your diploma, keep it in a safe place and be aware of its location at all times. We are happy to issue multiple copies of your official transcript at a modest cost if you need them for your records or to send to the college of your choice. Thank you for your cooperation.

Today we're proud to release a new version of our Understanding English 1 course. Unlike previous versions of this course, all units (1-8) are in one instruction book, and all exams (1-8) are in one exam booklet. Students who enroll for one-half credit, either the first or second semester, will receive the entire course—both the instruction book and the exam booklet. We hope you will benefit from these changes as you work toward your accredited high school diploma.

American School graduate Anna Tatishvili saw her four-match winning streak come to an end with a 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 loss to Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky in the second round of the Australian Open. This year's event matched Anna's best showing ever at the Australian Open, and we're excited to see how well she does at the year's next Grand Slam event, the French Open, which begins in Paris on May 24.

American School is proud to receive Homeschool.com's 2015 Seal of Approval. We have received this honor for multiple years running, but getting this award on an annual basis never gets old. It's a sign that people recognize our continuing commitment to offering students the accredited high school courses they need at a cost they can afford. Thank you to Homeschool.com for this honor, and thank you to all of the students, guarantors and school officials who work with us. We are deeply grateful.

American School graduate Anna Tatishvili came out on top in her first-round match Down Under as she defeated Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4. Anna qualified for the main draw of this year's Australian Open the hard way, by going through three rounds of qualifying matches last week. She defeated Johanna Konta of Great Britain (6-4, 7-5), Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan (7-6, 6-3) and Katarzyna Piter of Poland (6-2, 6-0) and stayed hot with her victory earlier today. Up next is a second round match against Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland. With a win, Anna would ensure her best Australian Open finish ever. This blog and our Facebook and Twitter pages will keep you posted.

It's January 19, and today the United States is observing the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As we've said many times before in this blog, one way to make history come alive is to visit museums, libraries or other historic sites. If you're in Atlanta, you can visit the King Center to learn more about Dr. King. If you can't make it to Atlanta, many people do service projects today to commemorate Dr. King's life, and you can learn more about these by visiting the United States Government's official site.

It's January 16, and on this date in 1976, Donny and Marie Osmond's variety show appeared on network television for the first time. The siblings have been in the entertainment business for nearly their entire lives, and to this day they perform to sellout audiences in Las Vegas and other places around the globe. We are proud to count Donny and Marie, as well as their siblings, among our famous students. You can learn more about them by visiting our Community page. While you're there, check out our archive of All American newsletters too. No matter what your career plans are, we look forward to having you as our student and treating you as if you are world famous like Donny and Marie. Enroll today and let us give you the red carpet treatment as you work toward your accredited high school diploma.